Ecclestone has already excluded Russell from the championship race.

Ecclestone has already excluded Russell from the championship race.

      "Antonelli or Verstappen will become world champion"

      Bernie Ecclestone believes the 2026 world championship is slipping away from George Russell. After Kimi Antonelli achieved his third consecutive victory from pole position in Miami, the young Italian leads his much more experienced Mercedes teammate by 20 points. The former long-time F1 chief thinks the momentum has shifted decisively.

      "The season is still early, but currently, Antonelli has the momentum to increase his lead over Russell," the 95-year-old told Swiss newspaper Blick. "Either Antonelli or Verstappen will be the world champion."

      Ecclestone is also reconsidering Max Verstappen's potential after Red Bull's strong performance in Miami. "Red Bull seems to have recovered from its slump," he remarked. "Max has found his passion again - and when that happens, he becomes a threat."

      On the other hand, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff continues to support Russell publicly despite Antonelli’s remarkable start to the season. When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport about Russell's challenging beginning, Wolff highlighted both misfortune and errors. "What we appreciate in this sport is that the clock reveals everything at the end of the race," Wolff stated. "And the time shows that Kimi rightfully won the last three Grands Prix."

      "Russell hasn’t performed as well, partly due to team issues or bad luck, and in Miami because of his own errors." Nonetheless, Wolff assures that Russell remains a crucial part of Mercedes’ plans. "We recognize George’s worth, and we know he will return, starting from Canada, highly competitive and ready to challenge his rivals."

Ecclestone has already excluded Russell from the championship race.

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Ecclestone has already excluded Russell from the championship race.

Formula 1 | Bernie Ecclestone thinks that the 2026 world championship is already drifting away from George Russell. Following Kimi Antonelli's impressive rise to a third (…)